Help with Microsoft Sidewinder 92626 connectivity problem

[Mevryk]

Hello there!

Background:
So, i have this Sidewinder 92626, which has been my trusty companion for some 14 years, it was a gift from my childhood, and it worked like a wonder.
One day i noticed some bad contact, windows stopped recognizing the device, got the cable replaced, all good. A year later the same problem reappeared, but this time i already knew how to use a soldering iron, replaced the cable myself, worked for a while, same problem again, replaced the cable, and it insisted on not getting recognized by windows, until it stopped being detected altogether.

So i acted, took an USB-B port from an old device, made the proper connections to the pcb, and used an siemens foxconn high speed printer cable that was lying around, having a removable cable should be much better, i thought, since it can be replaced without soldering, plus its a more reliable cable.

-Something that the original cable had, close to the usb plug, was a ferrite core, which this cable doesn't, i intend to install one, im not entirely sure if the absence of this could cause severe malfunctions or failure to connect (the previous cable that i used had a ferrite bead and didn't work anyway, but its an old and long cable, with a new usb-a plug i soldered to replace the original, oxidized one, anyway i doubted about its reliability, thus the replacement)

But no joy, windows doesn't even detect that something was plugged. The board does receive the 5v
Maybe i'm missing something? I once took months troubleshooting an amplifier that had a bad 6.3mm jack
Could it be something repairable? should i accept its death? could be a dead chip? Messed the USB wiring(im no expert at it)? Does something seem bad in the pictures? I don't consider my soldering job on this piece optimal, i lack resources since im not home, so i couldn't clean it up before reworking the connection. Could it be the culprit?
A quick inspection with the multimeter on the jumpers reveals current going through, so i believe the connection does work.

I assumed DM to be D- and DP to be D+ on the usb pinout

The chip is a COB, i couldn't find any schematics, so if it is dead then i think its the end of this board.
I noticed a little spot of what seems to be solder on one of the paths near the chip, i don't know if that was there before


Here i stand, with a dead stick and terrible itch to "fly" . Replacing it with something equivalent in terms of quality, is expensive, and i would prefer to invest that money on the execution of my project to build my own joystick.
Maybe im just in denial and should give up?

Any tips and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks in advance!

 

[73's de Edd]

Sir Mevryk . . . . .

I can't make out the two " keyed " corner positions of the B connector from your photos angle.
Confirm that the RED and WHITE wires are going to that corners pair with an ohmmeter.
REFER . . .to the marked up pics . . . ..



73's de Edd . . . . .

 

[Harald Kapp]

windows doesn't even detect that something was plugged. The board does receive the 5v

Obviously a problem with the data lines connection.
Since replacing the cable worked for some time I guess a bad solder joint soomewhere around this area may be the culprit. The heat from the repair of the cable solder joint may have temporarily fixed the issue in a nearby solder joint. Inspect all solder joints and repair any bad looking ones.

Regarding that marked spot in your last photo: Not too good to see, but it looks like there is a pad underneath (at least judging from the "perfect" round outline and also the end of a component lead seems to poke through:

Have a look at the other side: is there a matching component? The solder joint sure doesn't look very good. In any case you can re-solder it using good solder with a flux core. Or make a more macro kind of photo for us to inspect the joint visually.

 

[Mevryk]

Gentlemen, thank you for your responses!

The pin-out on the usb jack corresponds to the diagram provided, and i have checked various times the connection through the cable, it seems to be flawless, and the connection to the board seems to work as there is a perfect connection between the end of the cable and the jumpers, even though it doesn't look good.

The pins on the side of the usb-b jack have to be grounded or something? They're currently "floating".


Testing the Vcc jumper showed 5.05v precisely, very small fluctuation. On the data jumpers, there is nothing, only once i noticed some 3.4v going through, but i couldn't recreate it.

On that suspicious spot, i forgot to mention there is nothing on the other side. And the black detail seems like epoxy, which makes me think of a manufacturing error maybe? The solder could be a drop from my reworks to the cable, but that doesn't explain the epoxy like substance. I noticed also that there's 4.6v going through it.


I took some time to answer because i accidentally broke the base pin of the S9015 transistor during testing , and it was a bit challenging to find a equivalent for a replacement at the local stores (online it would cost pretty much 20x the price of a single piece), i replaced it with a BC560B. Also replaced the electrolytic capacitors, since they're really cheap and i was already at the store.
I'm still oblivious to what could be the culprit, since there's no data going through i cannot help but to think the chip is dead, thus the handshake with the pc doesn't occur. My hopes lie on the idea that it is a connection problem, or a faulty semiconductor.

I couldn't do much in terms of photography, since i don't have my amplifying lenses with me, but i tried to provide clearer images, also made some images with a camera and a 50mm lens, but wasn't satisfied with the result. The pictures provided are also before the replacement of the transistor and capacitors.

an actual camera image. i shall take more time to set up the camera properly if more imagery is required.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the input and i hope we can figure this one out

edit: In the meanwhile i'll try to get hold of my lenses again and take some proper pictures with clarity of details.

 

[Harald Kapp]

And the black detail seems like epoxy, which makes me think of a manufacturing error maybe?

No, that epoxy blob is protection for a bare chip bonded to the pcb.

The pins on the side of the usb-b jack have to be grounded or something? They're currently "floating".

Usually these are connected to chassis ground, but since the sidewinder moist likely has a plastic case and is not grounded, leaving them floating should not be a major issue.

I noticed also that there's 4.6v going through it.

Possibly 5 V power supply from the USB port through a protection diode which drops a few hundred millivolts. This should be o.k.

the connection to the board seems to work as there is a perfect connection between the end of the cable and the jumpers, even though it doesn't look good.

What do you mean by "jumpers"?
Connection from the cable to the pcb is one thing. Connection from the pads on the pcb to the controlling chip is another thing. Try to find the traces connecting the USB port to the chip and check for continuity.